Energy Saving in Shipping Industry

Futurist Topics - Transport

What it is

Fuel costs can be more than 15% of the cost of shipping containers around the world.    More than 40% of all shipping fuel can be saved at almost zero cost

How it works

Depending on the ship, companies can save up to 40% of their fuel costs by slowing down from 24 knots to 20 knots.   But that is just the start.  Hundreds of other smaller innovations can save additional fuel ranging from new designs of ship hulls, to engines and propellers.  Hyundai Heavy Industries, Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering have created new energy-efficient “thrust fins” which are mounted to the ship’s rudder.  They reduce water turbulence from the propellers and convert it into extra thrust, reducing fuel use up to 6%.

Another potential innovation is to use wind power. Beluga Projects produce huge kitesurf rigs which can be fitted to almost any ship, offering 15% to 30% fuel savings.  Their enormous kites fly up to 300 metres above the sea where winds are stronger and more reliable.  They are computer controlled, do not require extra manpower and operate in moderate winds supplementing engines.

We can also expect new marine diesels to improve in efficiency by at least 2% over the next decade.

Why it matters

90% of all goods ranging from oil, gas, coal, and grains to electronic items, are carried each year by over 80,000 merchant ships larger than 2000 tons.  It’s the equivalent of shipping 1000 tons of products over 30 billion miles a year and results in 5% of all carbon emissions each year.  We can save at least 50% of all shipping energy costs – equivalent to 2.5% of all global carbon use – by using a combination of the measures above. 

Business Opportunity

Expect huge opportunities in every aspect of ship design – from on-board electricity generation to next-generation marine diesel engines.

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